UNITED AS ONE
America welcomes new citizens from around the world
STILLWATER, N.Y. » Wilfredo Thompson had plenty of reason to smile before celebrating the Fourth of July with family members and fireworks.
The Dominican Republic native, and 19 others from countries around the world, became new U.S. citizens by taking the Oath of Allegiance during ceremonies at Saratoga National Historical Park on Wednesday.
A crowd of nearly 400 people joined the celebration by welcoming new Americans to their adopted country.
“I feel like it’s a dream come true,” said Thompson, 38, a Latham resident. “I achieved a goal. Becoming an American citizen not only makes me happy, but gives me a special joy. I know that great things are coming my way.”
Likewise, he encouraged other immigrants to begin the citizenship process, too.
“I encourage them to be persistent, obey the laws of the United States, respect the Constitution and try to be the best they can,” Thompson said. “They can do it. There’s so many opportunities for us here, open doors.”
Nationwide, more than 14,000 people will become new citizens at 175 ceremonies during the two-week period surrounding America’s 242nd birthday.
On July 4 alone, events were held at many other patriotic sites such as the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia; Thomas Jeffer-
son’s home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, Va.; and the USS New Jersey battleship in Camden, N. J.
Saratoga National Historical Park is where the 1777 Battles of Saratoga were fought, the Turning Point of the American Revolution.
Similarly, citizenship is a turning point in the life of each person who took part in Wednesday’s ceremonies.
“This is not only a special occasion for these new citizens, it is a moment for all of us to recommit to our responsibilities as U.S. citi- zens,” said Amy Bracewell, historical park superintendent. “The Battles of Saratoga laid the foundation for our freedoms. We are here together because of the actions on this land so long ago.”
Philippe Boyer, a Saratoga Springs resident whose firm supplies materials to GlobalFoundries, immigrated to the U. S. from France.
“After seven years, I felt it was important to become part of this country and community, instead of just being a visitor,” he said. “A green card is nice, but now I’m really part of things.”
New citizens also came from Bangladesh, Burma, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, India, Iran, Ireland, Jamaica, Pakistan and the People’s Republic of China.
Keynote speaker Priyanka Kumar, 17, of Latham, is a student at the prestigious Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. She told how her parents left everything behind, in India, to start a new life in America, where they arrived with only $40 to their names.
“They wanted to come to a country where they could succeed,” she said. “They came for the great American dream, not just for themselves, but for their kids.”
Citing the U. S. motto “E Pluribus Unum” (Out of Many, One) Kumar told how the 13 American colonies put aside their differences to defeat the British and win their hard-fought independence. The freedoms patriots fought for allow people to be different, but America’s strength depends on its citizenry’s ability to uphold and maintain the ideals the Founding Fathers first established, she said.
“This is the land of E Pluribus Unum,” she said. “We are one nation.”
Each new citizen was given a small American flag presented by Mechanicville-Stillwater Elks Lodge 1403. Twin Rivers Council Boy Scouts presented the colors and there were both musket and cannon salutes, along with a lemonade toast led by former park Ranger Joe Craig.
First- generation American David Eatock cycled more than 15 miles from his Ballston Lake home to witness the ceremonies.
“My parents immigrated from Canada in 1966,” he said. “I didn’t get a chance to see my parents take their oaths because they were on the West Coast. So this is a good opportunity to see how it goes. This is what I perceive as the natural way for immigrants to become citizens.”
State Sen. Kathleen Marchione, R-Halfmoon, and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, shared stories about their own families’ paths to becoming Americans.
Heather Mabee, of the Saratoga Springs chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, reminded everyone to never take their citizenship for granted, and to always be mindful of the military personnel serving to protect the country’s freedoms.
“It is up to us to decide how this ‘Grand Experiment’ George Washington talked about will go,” Bracewell said. “We have the power to shape the direction of our freedoms.”